


i get so jealous

by synthehol_king



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Angst (but not really), Multi, Oneshot, Unrequited, all my exes live in the alpha quadrant, that’s why i hang my hat outside the wormhole
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-17
Updated: 2020-01-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:20:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22288528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/synthehol_king/pseuds/synthehol_king
Summary: A few old friends come to visit Quark’s Bar, Grill, Gaming House and Holosuite Arcade. They do not have fun.
Relationships: Brunt/Quark (Star Trek), Hanok/Quark (Star Trek), Odo/Quark (implied), Pel/Quark (implied), Quark/William Riker, technically they’re all ‘implied’
Comments: 14
Kudos: 27





	i get so jealous

**Author's Note:**

> **cw:** exes, speciesism, unrequited feelings
> 
> mood: “So Jealous” - Tegan & Sara

“If you’re looking for Quark, I can get him for you. I doubt he’d be keeping the FCA waiting on purpose.”

Brunt was lucky it was Jadzia Dax who’d been the one to greet him - any other woman onboard might have reacted more severely to the way his head jerked back in surprise, or the way his face contorted into a sneer at the realization that the woman’s voice he’d heard had dared to address him directly. She, being Dax, looked him in the eye and smiled, unconcerned - and unimpressed. Clearly, he didn’t get off-world much.

“That will be unnecessary,” he said, frowning as she took a seat at the table to his left. Clothing on a female may have been beyond his sensibilities, but when that clothing was a Starfleet uniform, it was a poor idea to express his opinions on the matter to her face. “I am here on personal business. Believe me, if the FCA wanted Quark’s attention, we wouldn’t need your help to get it, _Commander._ ”

“Oh, I don’t doubt it. But, since you’re here as yourself, do _you_ need me to get him for you?”

Brunt glared. Jadzia smiled.

He’d planned his arrival early in the week in hopes of catching Quark on a slow night. Apparently, the rest of the quadrant didn’t get the memo. Quark seemed unfazed; Brunt could see him behind the bar, mixing drinks with alarming speed and shoving them just as quickly into his overwhelmed waiters’ hands.

“Don’t bother,” he attempted to sound aloof, but it was difficult to do that and hide a smile at the same time. “I wouldn’t dream of interrupting another Ferengi’s pursuit of profit.”

“Then let me keep you company while you wait - care for a game of fizzbin?”

The look Brunt gave the deck of cards in her hand was enough to peel paint. “That will _also_ be unnecessary. Forgive me if I sound rude, Commander,” he said, his tone suggesting otherwise. “But the Ferengi are more than capable of conducting our business without the ‘well-meaning’ oversight of the Federation.”

“No apology needed - but I think there’s been a misunderstanding,” she flashed her most congenial smile. “You see, Quark’s a dear friend of mine; I make it a point to get to know all the people in his life. I’ve heard a lot about you,” her smile remained, but the dark, knowing look in her stare arrested his attention. “And any friend of Quark’s is a friend of mine.”

“Now there’s a contentious group if I’ve ever heard of one.” 

Brunt almost groaned out loud at the sight of another Starfleet uniform. This one was red, and attached to a smirking, bearded face that he didn’t recognize. Dax, however, turned to embrace him.

“Commander Riker, it’s good to see you again. Back so soon?”

“Dax,” Will grinned, returning the hug. “Just settling up with Quark while I’ve got a few extra days of shore leave.”

“What a coincidence,” Dax turned to Brunt. “I’m afraid there’s a line.”

“Oh?” The commander raised an eyebrow at Brunt. “Let me guess; dabo?”

Brunt managed to make his once-over of the other a bit more conspicuous at this time, and frowned.“No; I don’t waste my latinum gambling at Quark’s,” he said. He may have reached an uneasy truce with Quark over the past few months - or whatever the proper term was for networking combined with the occasional ill-advised hookup - but he still had standards.

“Did you leave without making him pay you _again_ , Will?”

“You know how Quark is. He can be very...persuasive.” Brunt watched him stare in the direction of the bar, looking thoughtful. He saw Dax smirk, and felt his eye begin to twitch.

“Next time you should join our tongo match - you’ll still go home empty-handed, but at least you’d know why.”

Brunt turned sharply. “ _You_ play tongo? With Ferengi?”

Dax tilted her head. “Why, are you looking for a few pointers?”

Brunt scowled, disgusted. Will laughed.

“If you’ve got some time, Dax, I’ve got a holosuite reserved in about half an hour,” Will asked. “I could use a sparing partner that knows how to swing a bat’leth.”

“Thanks, but I’m afraid I’ll be on duty,” Dax replied, squashing any hopefulness Brunt may have felt at the suggestion. “I’m actually on my lunch break - I just have a message to deliver to Quark before I head back.”

Whatever you thought of Quark, you certainly couldn’t say he was unpopular on this station.

Brunt looked bitter as he tried to ignore their conversation. ( _“Just to return a call from a friend of ours...” - “You mean Pel? Yes, I met them on Andoria once. Small world, huh?”_ ) He rested his chin in his hand, setting his vacant stare in the direction of the bar and hoping that the bartender might glance his way and end this torture. Distracted, he failed to notice the figure behind him, who’d been doing much of the same for the past several minutes, turn to look at him instead.

“I’d make myself more comfortable if I were you; I’d wager he won’t be stepping away from that bar any time soon.”

All three turned around at the sound of the new voice. Dax looked particularly surprised at the sight of the Karemman diplomat.

“Minister Hanok - what a surprise to see you again,” she stood. His table was elevated from theirs, sitting on a raised level behind the railing that connected the stairs to the rest of the bar. He smiled, nodding his head, then waved his hand at her attempts at formality. “What brings you out of the Gamma Quadrant?”

“What else?” He gestured toward the bar. “Apparently I picked a poor night to negotiate shipping arrangements,” he turned his eye on Brunt. “Ferengi mushroom cultures are becoming quite popular on Karemma this year.” 

“Is that so,” Brunt said, wrestling with relief and anxiety over the reveal that he was here on business. He settled on the latter emotion when he noticed the way Hanok’s eyes kept darting back towards Quark as he spoke.

“Maybe we’ll get lucky and someone will start a dabo streak,” Riker suggested. “That might get his attention.”

The fact that the same thought had crossed Brunt’s mind further soured his mood. The idea of someone - particularly these non-Ferengi, Federation and Federation-adjacent someones - knowing Quark as well as he did, was more than a little irritating. 

Even if he wasn’t willing to confront _why_.

Dax drew in a sharp breath through her teeth. “I hate to break it to you,” she nodded toward the bar. “But I think the line just got longer.”

The other three turned to look. In a matter of seconds, Quark had turned all his attention to another customer, whom each of them recognized on sight. The chief of security wasn’t exactly hard to miss; Odo stood with his arms folded across his chest, practically looming above Quark from across the counter. From the way Quark was reacting, it didn’t seem to be very effective at intimidating him - he’d puffed out his chest, leaning forward with his chin pointed in Odo’s face. 

Whatever they were arguing about, it was obviously important - the drink he’d been pouring sat neglected on the counter, waiting to be found by one of his more astute waiters.

All four watched the display with rapt attention, the three previously unaware each finding an instant that told them all they needed to know. 

Riker looked contemplative. Hanok looked melancholy. Brunt looked miserable.

Easing her way out of the chair, Dax gave a quick, pleasant goodbye to the three, giving some excuse that none of them bothered to listen to. A silent sigh passed through the group upon seeing the look on Quark’s face as he watched Odo leave the bar.

Another passed when they saw him notice Dax at last, running to catch her before she left.

Next time, perhaps, they would call first.

**Author's Note:**

> \- Jadzia knows everything that’s happened and does not :) like :) Brunt. :))))
> 
> \- Will/Quark happened a few times ala that one scene Quark was in in Next Gen (i wrote a short fic for it in my rarepair collection)
> 
> \- was also inspired by the fanon idea that the Karemma homeworld is cold, so they wouldn’t be able to grow mushrooms/other edible fauna that would be super abundant on Ferenginar (i think this was an idea by spacebubble but either way I was definitely inspired by their Hanok/Quark & Brunt/Quark fics as well lollll)
> 
> \- apparently Pel was originally written with the idea of having a romantic relationship with Riker? I tried to include a lil reference to it in here just because I thought it was interesting
> 
> \- thanks for reading!


End file.
